MIT shows off prototype Doctor Octopus robot arms

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Bionics, the field dedicated to replacing lost body parts with mechanical versions, is bleeding edge in absolutely every way, but could it still be setting our sights too low? After all, if we can control mechanical limbs with our mind, why limit ourselves to just replacing lost natural ability? Why not add to that ability outright? That field is called “supernumerary” robotics, going beyond the numbers and abilities we get at birth. At a robotics show recently held in Hong Kong, a team from MIT showed off some of its best creations in this line. A shoulder-mounted helper robot reminiscent of the cyborg arms from Spider-Man’s Doctor Octopus ended up stealing the show.

It should be noted that these arms make their own decisions about how to best help their user, rather than responding to physical or mental control. The “real” Doctor Octopus controlled his robot arms via their fusion with his spine — but we now know he would have been better off sending commands straight from the brain. Regardless, these MIT limbs actually watch what you’re doing with your biological arms and try to figure out what you need from them — they will help hold an object over your head for work above, or try to push open a door so you can get through with a large box in your arms.

The research is supported by Boeing, which employs a lot of people to do difficult physical jobs like building and repairing aircraft. Many of these jobs aren’t just difficult for one person, they’re extremely physically taxing. Lifting large components all day is not only hard on the back, but hard on the employer’s medical and insurance budgets, so Boeing has been investing in robotics as a possible road to Labour 2.0.

The US military (via DARPA) has similar goals. As combat moves further into city streets and remote mountain ranges, bulky vehicles become less and less viable, which puts more and more weight on the backs of soldiers. The Warrior’s Web quasi-exoskeleton is meant to take a large portion of any physical load off the user’s joints and muscles.

Other “supernumerary” robotic limb prototypes include a pair of hip-mounted arms that can serve as two new arms, two new legs, or one of each as needed. From holding a weight to bracing like a strong third leg, these relatively small and simple robots could end up being our real-world version of the dock loader from Aliens — less x-treme, but a whole lot more practical.